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Committee adopts senior‑privileges policy after debate over off‑campus leaving and liability
Summary
The committee approved a senior‑privileges policy for qualifying seniors (attendance, GPA, debt‑free, parental permission). Members raised safety and liability concerns about students leaving campus; the superintendent said counsel’s permission slip limits negligence claims but does not eliminate all liability.
The Wareham School Committee voted Dec. 19 to adopt a senior‑privileges policy that allows qualifying seniors a scheduled free period for study and, with parental permission, the ability to sign out and leave campus during that period.
Administrators said 39 seniors met the criteria and 17 had parental permission to sign out. "The students have to have and maintain 95% attendance rate. They have to maintain an overall GPA of 80 or above ... they have to be debt free as well and they have to have parental approval," Scott Paladino explained.
Several committee members voiced reservations about allowing students to leave campus. Joyce said she opposed off‑campus leaving not because of students’ academic achievements but because of safety and culture concerns: "the idea of kids out driving around in the middle of the day ... that bothers me."
Committee members asked whether district liability changes when a parent signs permission. Superintendent Dr. DeAndrea said counsel reviewed the permission form and found it would not allow an argument that the district was negligent or at fault for an accident, but added that the district remains potentially liable if it is negligent in other ways. "The policy, specifically the permission slip, would not allow for an argument that the district was negligent or at fault for an accident," DeAndrea said, while cautioning the protection is not absolute.
The committee moved and seconded the policy and approved it. Members instructed administration to confirm specific legal language and to revisit the policy if new liability concerns arise.
